7.26.2009

Love these creative displays of necklaces. So excited to be moving into a new apartment/room this week...A friend gave me her bedframe, a 70 year old wooden frame her grandmother bought in Mexico, that is painted with flowers - incredible!

Finally, the Bar exams are this coming week, Tuesday - Thursday (depending on which state you are taking). If you know anyone taking the test, please send us all good luck during the week! We won't know the results till November, so don't bother asking...believe me, we are already wondering ourselves...Thanks to all the friends and family who have supported us all through the last three years of school and then last three months of studying craziness! xoxox

“I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. It’s so fuckin’ heroic.” - George Carlin

I remember reading this couple's Vows column in 2004, and I loved getting to see a "State of the Union" about them. I was especially moved when they discussed the support of their broader community, and got pretty choked up when they talked about showing their sons a loving marriage. Gosh darn, I love the Vows!

“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?" - High Fidelity

On PBS, NOW: Maximum Capacity: "The number of inmates in American prisons is outpacing the system's ability to hold them all. In one startling example, California prisons hold 70,000 more inmates than they're designed for, even though the state has built a dozen new prisons in the last 15 years."

"In 2001, Hilary Leung started a personal illustration project called 1000strangers in which she would illustrate a different stranger she noticed in Toronto each day. It’s 8 years later, and the project continues."

Awesome choice for Surgeon General: "Dr. Regina Benjamin of Bayou la Batre, Ala., who All Things Considered listeners will remember for the compelling stories of her work to rebuild a clinic for the poor that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and then again by a fire in 2006, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be the next surgeon general, the Associated Press and Washington Post report."

Really in the mood for a Marathon concert recently. They remain some of the best shows I've ever seen and "Marathon" is still one of my favorite/most listened to albums. (And one more, from their amazing last show: really bad quality but high on the nostalgia scale.)

“Someone once told me that the power in all relationships lies with whoever cares less, and he was right. But power isn’t happiness, and I think that maybe happiness comes from caring more about people rather than less.”

Just looking at this picture makes me nauseous...but it looks pretty sweet.

Interesting arbitration issue: "The Fairbanks Police Department demoted a lieutenant for disloyalty after he met directly with the Mayor to complain about denial of a promotion. The lieutenant grieved the demotion, arguing that his communication with the Mayor was protected by the 1st Amendment." via AK Employment Law Blog.

7.04.2009

More horrifying news out of Iran. Thanks to Setareh for the links. Arrested, beaten and raped: an Iran protester's tale: "Afshin, a shopkeeper from south-west Iran, alleges that one of his friends was beaten and repeatedly raped after being arrested at an opposition rally after last month's disputed election. He gave this account to Esfandiar Poorgiv, a journalist and academic. It is published here as part of the Guardian's project to trace those killed and detained during the unrest. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the account."

Couldn't find a good recording of X's "4th of July" on YouTube but heartily recommend giving it a listen today (or really any day).

Pitchfork: "Back in February, we reported that former Silver Jews frontman David Berman would release a book of cartoons called The Portable February. Well, the book is out now via Drag City. And now that we've seen a copy, we can report that it is absolutely ridiculous."

“Oh man, isn’t it crazy that you were fighting against John Malkovich in Con Air and then two years later you were crawling around inside his head in Being John Malkovich? I remember the late 90s as a time when great actors named John were always fighting each other over an airplane full of convicts / John Malkovich’s head.” - Dear John Cusack

Reading: Just finished The White Tiger (easy, enjoyable read, nothing earth-shattering) and currently reading Unaccustomed Earth (uneven, but love love love some of the stories). Still taking Up In The Old Hotel piece by piece and appreciating Joseph Mitchell as always.

Yes, I'm on a big Thermals kick. If you don't have it already, I'd strongly suggest getting their "Live at the Echoplex" cd (only like $5.99 on iTunes...or ask me for a copy of it). Really want to see them in concert again.